What do people in the EDA and semiconductor industries expect to happen in the industry in 2013? The big 3 EDA players will be reduced to 2, one way or another...

Bob Smith - Senior Vice President of Marketing, Uniquify Inc.

In
2013, EDA Designline readers can expect to see the proliferation of IP
in SoC designs continue to increase. As the industry is now ramping into
the 28nm node and pushing beyond, the use of IP will be critical to
containing costs and schedules for the next generation of Super SoCs.
Opportunities abound for new innovations that will automate and
streamline the selection, qualification, verification and implementation
of IP. In addition, the industry is ripe for the emergence of new
licensing, tracking and revision control methodologies that will
simplify IP acquisition.

On the SoC design services front we
will continue to see the ongoing transition as the older ASIC-like
business model continues to lose favor to new service business models
that offer greater transparency and flexibility. This new-generation
services business will continue to grow and flourish in 2013 as the
electronics industry struggles with a shortage of designers and design
teams that have the expertise and experience in delivering successful
designs at 28nm and below.

Brad Quinton - chief architect, Tektronix

The
big 3 EDA players will be reduced to 2, one way or another. Otherwise
it will be a dull year in EDA with no IPOs or other "big deals".

Andreas Veneris - Chief Executive Officer, Vennsa Technologies

I
consulted the Delphic Oracle to predict the future. The oracle says
that the New Year –– 2013 –– will be “tough” not only for EDA but for
economy in general, due to persisting geopolitical concerns that are yet
to be settled. This will set the stage for growth starting in 2014. If
the Oracle’s prediction is true, I do not foresee further multi-digit
acquisitions. The EDA market will take its time to “digest” the recent
escalation of mergers before the next move.

Lip Bu Tan – CEO, Cadence

One
trend that will accelerate is the return of the fully integrated OEM.
This is illustrated by companies like Apple and Google who are taking
control of their own hardware design and manufacturing to ensure fast
innovation, IP security, supply chain efficiencies, and economic value.

For
smaller companies to succeed, they must have the resources to provide
differentiation, innovate quickly, and expand their core competencies
organically or through acquisition.

These trends present a huge
opportunity for EDA companies to build more strategic alliances with our
global and local partners and customers.Manufacturers
touch Cadence at every part of the design chain, from design concept
through manufacturing to market introduction. Our value at each point of
that chain increases as we provide a clear path to market success.

Brett Cline - VP of Marketing and Sales, Forte Design Systems

The consolidation of the market is likely to continue, though another large player may begin to emerge in the next year.

Apache Design, an ANSYS subsidiary

[The]
bifurcation [between high-end mobile or smart connected devices (SCD)
and the traditional (classic) chips markets] is a key trend that the EDA
industry needs to pay attention to in the upcoming years because it
will have considerable impact on how we develop our technologies, as
well as business models. Since the requirements can be widely different,
tools developed for SCD chip designs may not necessarily adapt well for
classic chip designs and vice versa. Investments made by tool providers
will need to be aligned with the corresponding business opportunities.
Even though the demands for mobile devices are growing, the number of
SCD chip manufacturers is consolidating due to the highly specialized
and competitive nature of this application segment.

Because of this
trend, we expect to see a gradual shift in the EDA business model to
incorporate more on-demand and global services to address the SCD chips
market, while still selling tools to the traditional chip market.

If you found this article to be of interest, visit EDA
Designline where you will find the latest and greatest design, technology, product, and
news articles with regard to all aspects of Electronic Design Automation (EDA).

Also, you can obtain a highlights update delivered directly to your
inbox by signing up for the EDA Designline weekly newsletter – just Click
Here to request this newsletter using the Manage
Newsletters tab (if you aren't already a member you'll be asked to
register, but it's free and painless
so don't let that stop you).